Nicolò Di Stefano was born into the world of hospitality in Genk, Belgium, to parents of Italian descent. He was raised in his parents' Italian trattoria, a culinary paradise that served food for 30 years. When he was still a young child, the family decided to move back to Italy, choosing the small town of Trevi in the idyllic Umbrian valley, an area Di Stefano still keeps close at heart today.

Di Stefano’s hospitality career continued at an early age, when he began working in 5-star hotels as a teenager. He earned his culinary chops working with celebrated Italian chefs such as Gianfranco Vissani, Luisa Scolastra, Moreno Pasquinelli, and with hospitality experts such as Claudio Menichelli and Marco Morosini.

Di Stefano’s taken the reins on management of restaurant openings and has been a key player in conceptual and recipe development for Italian brands. He’s taught culinary history at the Università dei Sapori and he collaborated on the creation of the culinary guide: Il Trimalcione. He currently lives and works in New York City, consulting for Italian restaurants, and working on his mission: to represent Umbria in the United States. His latest project is called www.bottegaumbria.com, a web site on everything Umbrian.